Introduction to Inquiry

It is important to note that inquiry based learning is a ‘form’ that enables child-led, and teacher- framed learning to happen. Teacher-framed in the way of framing questions, experiences and provocations, and child-led in the way that these experiences are open for the child to explore the way they wish and for them to take the learning where they want to go with it.

What I love the most about inquiry is that you never know where it is going to end up - it is this spontaneous exploring of knowledge that makes the inquiry-based learning so exciting. Never loose this. I can’t emphasise this enough!

For example, you may set up a provocation to see what children think about dreams - maybe its a conversation about dreams (question-framed) or maybe it is a wonderland full of ‘careers’ (ie photos of astronauts, doctors, rugby players on a table with a drawing pad with the question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’) this would be using materials to provoke (to test prior knowledge of children and see their thoughts). Using your observations from these provocations, you can then assess what the children know and what they would like to know, and then plan the next provocation. This allows the children to lead where we end up and keep them passionate and engaged.

Provocations invite children to explore and teachers to assess what children know and where to nudge them to the next stage in their growth.

So let’s look at an example of the ‘stages’ of an inquiry

Stage 1 - Research and planning (timeframe approx 1-4 weeks)

‘Ask real questions, questions you yourself wonder about – what I call acts of inquiry.’ (Judith Wells Lindfors). This stage is so important. It embraces the concept of Ako where the teacher is seen as the researcher. This is also very inline with the way that Reggio sees the role of the teacher. If you are not PASSIONATE about the potential and possibly that exists within the provocation then we have lost the process before we even began. What about this provocation spins your wheels? I have the belief that you can be passionate about any topic if you can find the joy the children will see in it.

During this stage of the inquiry teachers should ask themselves ‘What do I want to know? What am I wondering about? It is important that the research focus question that the teacher (individually or as a team) chooses engages their mind and is something that is open ended. For example one teachers question may be ‘What ignites the dreams of our children?’ A teacher focus question always focusses on wanting to understand how children learn and behave better. This question will then directly influence the teacher observations and practise. It will be the guiding stick for documentation and reflections. It will give direction to where they want to go.

For example to research this question some of the provocations they may set up would include scaffolding questions in a small group (or spontaneous) like ‘Tell me about the thing you love doing the most’ and then depending on answers (it may be ‘playing in the sand’) maybe a follow up question like ‘tell me what happens when you play in the sand?’ This teacher is trying to learn and understand what emotions drive children’s actions and learning. It would all form part of their bigger research question of ‘What ignites the dreams of our children.’ So therefore it is a realm of authentic learning for the teacher alongside the child.

Learning that can’t be predicted and that is full of the joy of discovery for all the parties involved. See this http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/responsiveclassroom/responsiveclassroom014.shtml for some great tips on open-ended questions.

[ Week Three ]

Once the teacher or teaching team has found their focus, stage one of the inquiry engages teachers in going away and doing some research around the focus question. In the previous example the teacher may research things about what ignites the dreams of adults (reading around callings, passion, purpose), research around what kind of things the particular age of children may come up with (previous projects done by other centres or reading about the topic), or maybe research around what causes children (and at what age!) to loose site of their dreams. How can we foster an environment where we raise dreamers? By immersing oneself in the topic, the teacher becomes a fountain of knowledge and it sharpens the practise and questions they may ask with the children. Again - if teachers aren’t passionate about the topic we have lost the victory before anything began. It has to be something that is personally meaningful for you.

During this initial stage teachers will find themselves so immersed in the topic that they can’t help observing all the spontaneous things happening with the children that is very relevant to the topic. A child may initiate roll play of a medical scene because they love the idea of being a doctor that saves people. Because the teacher has been thinking about this they are able to observe and note down these events to provide a baseline for the next stage of the inquiry.

This is also the stage to invite whanau to be involved in the inquiry. What are they wondering about? How can we introduce the provocation to them so that it provokes their interest? How can we make use of their resources in the inquiry process? This may be a newsletter home, a clipboard where they can answer a question you ask them (what is your dream/aspiration for your child?) or personal invitations.

At the end of stage one you will have the 4 following outcomes:

1. A research/focus question that you/your team is investigating (this may evolve as the inquiry unfolds)

2. Lots of research around the overarching theme that immerses you in that world

3. Observations of spontaneous moments of play that gives you baseline data for planning the next phase

4. Input from whanau and learning community about the overarching inquiry

Stage 2 - Planning (1-2 weeks)

At the end of stage 1 it is important to get together with your team and discuss all your findings, your wonderings and your observations. We want to bring different perspectives, different angles and different ideas to the table. Together as a team you then plan ‘where to next?’ Our planning must be driven by observation of the children’s interest, as well as the focus research questions.

Planning must not be rigid but flexible, adaptable to what’s happening in the classroom. It is not ok to plan 3 weeks of preset activities. Rather we want to introduce open-ended experiences and provocations that allows children to make meaning and passionately engage. We use a ‘Web of Possibilities’ to look at all the possibilities and we are flexible to observe where the children lead us.

The purpose of the first phase of planning is to assess ‘what do the children know’ about this thought. You are introducing provocations - open-ended questions and materials that will allow children to share their ideas about dreams. ‘What does it mean to dream?’ may be the first question that you introduce. Or maybe you want to focus first on ‘city.’ ‘What is a city?’ Whatever you choose - it is simply there so you can understand what the children know.

I would recommend that you introduce some sort of material (whether it be a story about a big city or a video about great cities in the world) that brings some exposure to the topic to spark interest when you first ask these questions. Ask yourself ‘Where did they get that knowledge?’ ‘What did they talk about that sparked passion and joy?’ This will help you assess what children want to know. Maybe they were particularly excited about building a city. This could be something that can inform future planning.

At the end of stage 2 you will have:

1. Observations about what children know

2. Observation about what children find interesting and what they want to know.

Stage 3 - Immersion (1-2 weeks)

The next phase of the inquiry is called ‘immersion’ planning. This has a resemblance of good old fashion theme based learning. Research suggests that immersing children in the topic helps them ask better questions and engage in complex thinking. So the immersion process transforms the classroom into a wonderland. We breath it. We eat it. We live it. Exposing children to a wide variety of provocations, questions and experiences.

This phase is critical to enlightening the passion and interest of children. The way the topic and material is presented must inspire wonder and awe. There may even be a generic excursion thrown in there. This is a rich time of discussions, meaning making and exchange of ideas. It is always linked to the focus question (which may have changed slightly based on previous provocations and observations) and children/teachers passions and interest.

During this stage you are also deciding about other key things like what new medium will introduce to children. You may consider 3D building, clay or maybe just black pen. You will also consider integration of key topics using planning mindmaps.

Integration of areas like literacy, numeracy, Maori culture, religious worldviews etc.

By the end of stage 3 you will have:

1. Introduced numerous provocations which gives you lots of observable data to assess

2. A good idea of where the children’s passions are and what they would like to learn

3. Self reflection on your initial focus question and reframing if necessary

4. A plan and some implementation of the integrated curriculum

Stage 4 - Scaffolding (2-4 weeks)

This stage of the inquiry is where things get really exciting. It is the stage where deeper complexities and understandings can be seen and expressions of learning be made visible. In terms of planning this stage of the project, it is driven by the children’s passionate interest and their innate desire to explore and learn. As a teacher you are to scaffold children’s development and learning by providing structures that support them to stretch their understanding beyond the level at which they’ve been functioning on their own. Vygotsky described this concept as the zone of proximal development.

Thinking and self reflection is critical in this phase. Encouraging children to think deeply, express their knowledge and revisit their work helps them to form new ideas, link learning and express their knowledge. Making thinking visible becomes crucial during this phase. The walls and tables should display work of the children with their quotes and thoughts. Use this documentation as a reflection tool. Sit with children day after day and read back to them what they said, use questions to see if they can expand on this. Ask yourself ‘What does this tell me about the child? What is the next natural step of complexity I can help scaffold?’

The pedagogy of Reggio Emilia emphasises the dynamic collaboration of young children and teachers, working together in projects that support the “Hundred Languages,” projects in which children represent themselves, their feelings, and their understanding of their world in multiple ways.

Tools to use during this phase include:

1. Symbolic Thinking - This type of thinking can have many layers and be very complex. It requires asking open abstract questions and representations that allows children to make meaning. See this article for a clearer understanding of how to use symbolic thinking.

http://www.midpac.edu/elementary/art_pk/2012/01/symbolic-thinki.php

For the inquiry example "Love your neighbour" projects it may have been ‘What colour is love?’ or ‘Where can you feel love in your body?’ To take that a step further you may ask children to use materials to represent their thinking. For example you may say ‘I want you to draw your dreams using two coloured pencils.’ Or ‘Using these instruments, make a sound that represent your dreams.’

2. Collaborative project - The socio-cultural view of learning (Te Whariki) is that meaning is made together. The classroom in Reggio is seen as a ‘democratic’ classroom where every child’s voice is encouraged to be involved in decision making and the unfolding of the curriculum.

Doing a collaborative project (alongside the Ateliesta) with the children is a tremendous way of scaffolding. It incorporates reflections, expression and group work to produce something great. This may be using the skills you introduced earlier with using 3D building to now build a ‘City of Dreamers.’ Children are involved in planning and executing the project. It is their work that will be showed in the exhibition. It is a beautiful opportunity to advocate for the possibilities and competencies of the children in your care.

Stage 5 - Reflecting and Evaluating (1-2 weeks)

It is most likely by now that the inquiry has produced incredibly rich and complex material. You have also been immersed in this inquiry now for well over a term. Even though you have been meeting constantly with your team, sharing notes and photos and considering the possible meaning and significance of this learning, it is now time to take a step back and take it all in.

Linking back to your initial focus question and hypothesis, take a look at what has happened. Ask yourself ‘What have I learned about how children learn?’ ‘What have the children learned?’ Think about your victories and your challenges. And reflect on how this will change your process?

You also want to consider where to go from here? Has the children’s interest shifted? Are they still interested in what we were doing? If the project is finished, it will cumulate at the exhibition. You will then start the planning process again from stage 1.

Documentation

There are two types of documentation. The first type of documentation is ‘Process’ documentation. This documentation is a process that helps you think about what is unfolding in your classroom and how to use your observations to plan a more meaningful curriculum for the children. This is ongoing during the whole inquiry. This may involve notes on a clipboard in your classroom, photos of what’s happening, a web of possibilities, conversations recorded in your notebook or a video of children’s play. This documentation needs to be visible in the classroom, as this helps to make your thinking visible and invites others to share in your thoughts. It doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing, however by giving it a ‘place’ in the classroom it helps to keep it organised.

See below for a diagram that shows ‘Documentation as a process.’ This is known as ‘formative assessment’ which basically means that your assessment of children’s learning is ongoing and it is used to inform planning.

The second type of documentation is Documentation as a product. At various point during the inquiry you want to sift through some of your stories and pick something meaningful that you would like others to read. Some of these may be aimed at adults, and others aimed at children.

Knowing your audience is critical and will determine the language and content of the documentation. It is important to note that this documentation does not need to display everything and everyone’s work and thoughts. In fact it is very important to filter the information to make it as simple as possible. That is a great principle of design.

Keep it simple. Highlight just the best bits.

The documentation may be a wonderful snapshot of children’s competency, or the story of an in- depth study. Documentation presentation needs to include narration about the children’s thinking and evolution of their interests, questions, ideas and representations.

The following questions may assist you as well:

• Where did it all start?

• What were the children’s beginning ideas and actions?

• How did you interpret the meaning of what was happened, what would be worth pursuing and why?

• What occurred after the children worked with their activities over time?

• How have the children’s ideas and actions changed?

• How can you summarise the aspects of the learning that relate to the standards and desired outcomes?

• What questions, opportunities, or possibilities could lead to more complexity?

Documentation as a product can be represented by the diagram below: